Study on Storm Surge Warning Guidelines in the Andaman Sea

Abstract

Storm Surge, a coastal flooding phenomenon, is often mistaken for a tsunami due to its destructive impact. Although their impacts may be similarly severe, the forecasting and warning mechanisms for storm surges remain limited in Thailand, especially along the Andaman Sea coast, due to outdated or insufficient early warning systems and a lack of localized, real-time monitoring tools.This study was conducted in response to recurrent storm surge events affecting coastal infrastructure and accelerating coastal erosion in provinces bordering the Andaman Sea. The inability to issue timely alerts has heightened the vulnerability of these regions.The objective of this research is to explore the feasibility of using southwest monsoon wind strength as a predictive indicator for storm surge events. The study specifically examines the official weather warnings issued by the Royal Thai Navy Hydrographic Department and compares them against actual sea level data recorded at four tide gauge stations: Ranong Tide Station, Kuraburi Tide Station (Phang Nga Province) Thap Lamu Tide Station(Phang Nga Province) and Taphao Noi Tide Station (Phuket Province) The study period spans from January 2020 to December 2021 Findings from the two-year dataset (2020–2021) reveal a notable correlation between stronger southwest monsoon winds and periods of elevated sea levels at the monitored coastal stations. Although the timing and magnitude were not always precisely matched in every instance of warning issuance, the general trends show sufficient consistency to suggest that this method holds promise for operational use.